US orders embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia due to Iran war
The Straits Times
The order indicated ongoing fears about strikes by Iran. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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WASHINGTON - The United States said on March 8 that it was ordering embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes the kingdom in retaliation for the attacks by Washington and Israel.
The State Department said in a travel advisory it had “ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks”.
The order indicated ongoing fears about strikes by Iran, as President Donald Trump warns he is ready for weeks more of war and Tehran says it is ready to respond.
The United States previously had given permission for non-essential staff to leave but did not require them to do so.
The State Department said it continued to warn Americans to “reconsider travel” to Saudi Arabia, though without cautioning against all trips to the kingdom, which has assiduously courted US businesses and politicians.
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